Let’s REVIEW: Camarillo Half Race REVIEW

(I’m behind on the race reviews; this was from the half marathon 2 weekends ago.  The Portland Marathon race review will be coming soon!)

So the Camarillo Marathon, Half Marathon, and 5k was held on October 3rd in where else, Camarillo.  The marathon started at 7, half at 8 and 5k at 8:30.  I think it’s a great idea to stagger race starts to ease up on congestion and overcrowding.  (It was the first year for this race so I’m going kinda easy on the review.)

Let’s get to the basics: this is a small, cheap race that still needs to work a few things out.  I think only a few hundred ran the full.  If you register early, the full costs $75 and the half is only $40, which is cheap.

Things I liked:

–Free parking and easy to get to off the 101, and to get in and out of

–Race day packet pick up was smooth and efficient.  You grab a t-shirt, bib and you’re done.

–Flat course, cool, overcast weather

–Race started right on time and staggered start times is fabo.

–There was a pancake breakfast afterwards.  I didn’t participate in it, but I think it’s always a great option, especially for families with kids.

Things I didn’t like:

–Not enough porta potties.  I walked to a park nearby that had open restrooms, but there was a long line for the few and far between smelly blue boxes.

–SUPER boring course.  It was the kind of course where you don’t even know which way you’re going or where you are, which is slightly confusing.  It was like a maze of endless farm roads.

–A lot of the roads weren’t closed so a few times a semi would go by and you definitely have to be watching where you’re running.  No daydreaming of carving pumkins here.

–The last mile of the half was unclearly marked.  Very unclear.  This was the first race I’ve ran where I honestly did not know if I was on the race course or not.  A guy in front of me tried to turn around at the wrong spot, and other people would have their hands up in the air shaking their heads, literally not knowing which way to go.

–Speaking of that last mile of the race, you finish running through a parking lot. a dirt parking lot.  The only thing worse to run in might be sand.  or quicksand.  But the problem is, those cars are pulling out while runners are running in.  I know because I was driving out as people were trying to finish.

-Only water at the aid stations.  For some reason, I thought there’d be energy drinks as well; maybe I read that on the website?

-Speaking of the website, I didn’t like it.  It was messy, unorganized, and chaotic looking.  I’m probably being a little nitpicky, but having “updates” with new information that should have been there from the start seems a little unprofessional to me.  and annoying. 

Just have one tab called “Race Info” or something and put everything there.  I don’t want to continually check the site for new updates where I have to click to open new windows just to get basic race information.

–The finish line clock was wacky.  Like total wack job.  It must have started at the marathon race and then maybe jumped to half, then 10k and 5k?  I don’t know, but it didn’t make sense.  Plus the half course was .15 miles long according to my garmin and ChaCha said the same thing, not a big deal but still…

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Overall, it was another decent, small race.  There were no big problems that I saw but nothing that stood out either as a great race.  I’d rate it a 5.31 out of 10.  Unless you’re really wanting to run a race that specific weekend, I’d probably say wait and run a different race.

EDITED TO ADD: The race director just sent all participants an email apologizing for the mistakes and offered us all a free entry into next year’s race.  A free full marathon entry?  Done.  I’m in.

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